I think fatalism and redemption are themes that help a reader organize and eventually "own" a story or character. Writing them, I just want them to be real, and in reality I don't think events are thematic until in retrospect, if ever.

Not working in journalism enables full attention to writing projects, which is good. But I miss the benefits of daily contact with people who are younger, energetic, engaged. And the necessary involvement with people and places and situations that enrich the imagination. I miss the enforced encounters with unusual projections of reality.

Exploitation is an abuse of power, an act of domination driven by basic insecurity. I think all hierarchies create opportunities for that. Donald Trump is an extreme illustration of an otherwise normal tendency. Institutions are supposed to have safeguards to prevent or mitigate the tendency. Instead they often become vehicles for abuse.

I think fatalism and redemption are themes that help a reader organize and eventually "own" a story or character. Writing them, I just want them to be real, and in reality I don't think events are thematic until in retrospect, if ever.

The Orenda is a powerful story from history, folklore and the imagination, based on the universality of human cruelty, superstition and perseverance. Wonderful writing.